MAKE contributing editor Matt Richardson awards the 2012 Makey Award for Most Hackable Gadget to Raspberry Pi. Accepting was Ebon Upton, creator of the Pi, the wildly popular new Linux-based computer system on a chip.

We have Raspberry Pi boards and starter kits in the Maker Shed here at the Faire, if you want to stop by, pick one up, and start experimenting with this exciting new technology.

Gareth Branwyn is a freelancer writer and the former Editorial Director of Maker Media. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books on technology, DIY, and geek culture. He is currently a contributor for Boing Boing and WINK Books. And he has a new best-of writing collection and “lazy man’s memoir,” called Borg Like Me.

Jeff Stanton

In 1964, the NY World’s Fair was the first time the general public could see the IBM System/360 in operation, just a few weeks after its release. According to wikipedia, it ranged in speed from 0.0018 to 1.5 MIPS; with up to 8 MB of internal main memory and 1024 kB of main storage. Prices ranged from $133,000 to $5,500,000.http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/mainframe/mainframe_PR360.html

In 2012, the World Maker Fair NY the first time the much of general public would see the Raspberry Pi in operation, just a few months after its release. According to wikipedia, it has a 700 MHz ARM; with up to 256 MB of internal main memory and up to 32GB of SD storage. Prices range from $25 to $35.